Work
What Drives Football Fans to Stadium Tours?
MSc Tourism Management dissertation at Bournemouth University, examining what drives football fans to visit stadium tours and which factors are associated with their visitor experience. The study focused on the major London football stadium tours, with a final sample of 102 respondents.
Overview
My MSc Tourism Management dissertation at Bournemouth University. The study examined what drives football fans to visit stadium tours and which factors are associated with their visitor experience, with a focus on the major London football stadium tours. Stadium tours sit between sport, cultural and urban tourism, which made them a useful setting for looking at why people choose a visit and what shapes the experience once they arrive.
Research focus
What drives football fans to visit stadium tours, and which factors are associated with the experience they have as visitors? The study looked at visitor motivations, service quality and interpretation, cost, visitor nationality, satisfaction, and resident compared with overnight traveller perspectives.
Context
Academic research completed as part of my MSc Tourism Management at Bournemouth University, with the major London football stadium tours as the study setting.
Role
Individual research project. I designed the study, gathered the responses, carried out the analysis and wrote the dissertation, supervised as part of the MSc.
Methodology
Survey based research with a final sample of 102 respondents. The study considered visitor motivations, service quality and interpretation, cost, visitor nationality, satisfaction, and resident compared with overnight traveller perspectives.
Key findings
Fan engagement was the strongest driver
Strong fan engagement was identified as the main driver of stadium-tour attendance.
Exclusive access was the strongest attraction
Exclusive access was identified as the most compelling attraction.
Lack of interest was the main barrier
Lack of interest was identified as the leading barrier among non-attendees.
Practical implications
The research suggests that stadium tours can strengthen their appeal through differentiated experiences, audience-focused communication and approaches designed to engage less-interested groups. The recommendations also highlight opportunities for smart technology, adaptive marketing and tour formats tailored to different audience segments.
Research takeaway
The project reinforced the importance of looking beyond attendance alone when considering visitor experiences. Understanding why different audiences engage—or choose not to engage—can inform how attractions design, communicate and adapt their offer.
Tools and methods
Project artefact
Project artefact
Visual research portfolio and dashboard
An accompanying visual portfolio presenting selected research findings from the dissertation in a more accessible visual format, produced alongside the written study using the same 102 respondent data.
External presentation hosted on Gamma. Opens in a new tab.
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